{"id":151527,"date":"2016-07-12T20:55:55","date_gmt":"2016-07-12T10:55:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=151527"},"modified":"2020-10-09T17:07:13","modified_gmt":"2020-10-09T07:07:13","slug":"labor-not-listening-on-tree-laws","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2016\/07\/12\/labor-not-listening-on-tree-laws\/","title":{"rendered":"Labor ‘Not Listening’ On Tree Laws"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Shadow Natural Resources Minister Andrew Cripps<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

July 12, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n

The LNP Opposition says the State Government has refused to amend changes to Queensland\u2019s vegetation management laws, despite protests from farmers and “a wave of angry objections from regional communities”.<\/p>\n

Shadow Natural Resources Minister Andrew Cripps said the Agriculture and Environment Committee report had given the government an opportunity to abandon the proposals “but the government had dug its heel in to secure Greens preferences”.<\/p>\n

\u201cDespite travelling across Queensland and witnessing first-hand the responsible work of landholders, Labor committee members have put politics ahead of good policy outcomes,\u201d Mr Cripps said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe committee report recommended the \u2018reversal of the onus of proof\u2019 provision be removed, which is a drop in the ocean compared to the damage these laws are set to inflict of the agriculture sector.<\/p>\n

\u201cHowever the committee failed to recommend the equally offensive provisions withdrawing \u2018mistake of fact\u2019 as an available defence and the retrospectivity to March 17, 2016 also be removed.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Palaszczuk Government is so beholden to the Greens, Labor MPs on the committee ignored all the evidence and instead handed down a series of bland recommendations asking for Ministers to provide further information to the House.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mr Cripps said Gympie MP Tony Perrett had highlighted the flaws in the Bill which had been exposed throughout the committee hearing.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe LNP is working with AgForce Queensland and other rural lobby groups to make it clear to Labor that the former LNP Government\u2019s common-sense changes to the vegetation framework, including high value agriculture permits and managing regrowth, must remain in place,\u201d Mr Cripps said.<\/p>\n

He encouraged Queenslanders concerned about the State Government\u2019s proposed laws to “stand with farmers” and sign an E-petition which he had sponsored.<\/p>\n